Jan 21, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Raymond Felton (2) guards Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 123-98. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Nikola Jokic has gotten word on his injury and Nuggets fans can breathe a little bit easier now.
The Nuggets rising star suffered what looked to be a nasty injury against the Phoenix Suns. Thankfully, X-Rays were negative and he was eventually walking under his own power.
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It has now been made clear what injury Jokic suffered. He has been diagnosed with a left hip flexor strain and has also been ruled out for the next game at Phoenix. Going forward, Jokic will be listed as day-to-day, which is much better than what many Nuggets fans thought was going to be the case.
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It is understandable why fans are so concerned considering the Joker has been on a tear lately. He was close to a triple-double (29 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists), before he got injured and is being considered one of the biggest snubs of the All-Star Game. Understandably, many fans (myself included), feel that DeAndre Jordan did not deserve to get in over Nikola Jokic.
Guys like Jokic, Gobert, and Lillard have a right to feel angered by these preposterous selections, but that is a story for another time. Jokic is the only player in the past 40 years to be averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per 36 minutes in his first or second year. The Nuggets now need to devise a strategy to sweep the season series against the Suns and continue to build a cushion for the 8th seed in the Western Conference.
There is still the second half of the season to go and a lot can still happen. The Nuggets must remain hungry. Jusuf Nurkic is going to have to step up big time in order to make up for Nikola Jokic’s absence, but also prove to Denver that he is an asset they do not want to trade.
The key point to focus on now is that Jokic’s injury could have been much more severe.
Nuggets Nation is lucky he will be day-to-day as opposed to being out for the season as they chase the playoffs.
